Robert Jan Stips (4th February, 1950) is a Dutch musician born in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. He initially found fame as a keyboard player, arranger, and producer with the group Supersister. This led to an invitation to join

Golden Earring Golden Earring were a Dutch rock music, rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as The Tornados. They achieved worldwide fame with their international hit songs "Radar Love" in 1973, which went to number one on the Dutch chart, reached the top ...

, one of the most successful Dutch groups of the time. In 1975, Stips appeared on the group's follow-up to their smash hit '' Moontan'' (including their international hit, "

Radar Love "Radar Love" is a song by the Dutch Rock music, rock band Golden Earring. The single (music), single version of "Radar Love" reached No. 9 on the ''Record World '' chart, No. 10 on ''Cash Box'', and No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Ho ...

"). Entitled ''

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

'', this follow-up album featured Stips' playing throughout. In 1976, Stips appeared as a full-fledged band member on '' To the Hilt''. This album would prove to be his last full effort with the group. Stips also took part in the group's successful American tour in 1976, but left afterwards to form Stars & Stips which released ''Nevergreens'' in 1976, and the group Sweet d'Buster with fellow intermittent Golden Earring bandmember, saxophonist Bertus Borgers. Stips has guested on several Golden Earring efforts since. Between 1977 and 1981 Stips produced three albums by the popular band Gruppo Sportivo: Ten Mistakes (1977), Back To 78 (1978) and Pop! Goes The Brain (1981). He also produced the first solo album by Gruppo Sportivo's frontman and main songwriter Hans Vandenburg: Buddy Odor Is A Gas! by The Buddy Odor Stop. In 1979, Stips left Sweet d'Buster and formed Transister, which released one album: ''Zig Zag''. In 1981, Robert Jan Stips released his first solo LP (''U.P.''). The same year, Stips became the keyboard player for

The Nits Nits (known until 1989 as The Nits) are a Dutch pop group founded in 1974. Their musical style has varied considerably over the years, as has their line-up with the core of Henk Hofstede (the group's lead singer and lyricist), Rob Kloet, drummer, ...

, with whom he had previously worked as a producer. During his years with The Nits he also produced albums for Cloud Nine and Vitesse. He was the main composer of The Nits' orchestral work, '' Hjuvi - A Rhapsody in Time''. In 1982 Stips appeared on Golden Earring's ''

Cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...

'' release. It featured the group's worldwide hit "Twilight Zone". Stips also plays on the group's 1986 release '' The Hole''. Robert Jan Stips left Nits in 1996 at the end of their Greatest Hits tour, and launched the group STIPS, with which he brought out the album ''Egotrip''. STIPS released two albums in collaboration with

Freek de Jonge Frederik "Freek" Jan Georg de Jonge (born 30 August 1944) is a Dutch cabaret performer and writer. Biography Early life and career De Jonge was born in Westernieland as son of a pastor. His family moved to Workum, and later to Zaandam and ...

, ''Gemeen Goed'' (1997) and ''Rapsodia'' (1998). In 1999, Robert Jan Stips released two solo albums : ''Greyhound'' and ''Rembrandt 2000'' (at the occasion of a great exhibition

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

). He also appeared on Golden Earring's "Last Blast of the Century." A two disc live career retrospective. In 2003, he rejoined Nits for their thirtieth anniversary tour. He played on the subsequent albums and has continued to tour with the group. In 2019 Stips launched the Supersister Projekt 2019 and released new album ''Retsis Repus''.

Discography

*1970 Supersister - ''Present From Nancy'' *1971 Supersister - ''To The Highest Bidder'' *1972 Supersister - ''Pudding en Gisteren'' *1973 Supersister - ''Iskander'' *1974 Sweet Okay Supersister - ''Spiral Staircase'' *1975 Golden Earring - ''Switch'' *1976 Golden Earring - ''To The Hilt'' *1976 Stars & Stips - ''Nevergreens'' *1977 Sweet d'Buster - ''Sweet d'Buster'' *1978 Sweet d'Buster - ''Friction'' *1979 Transister - ''Zig Zag'' *1981 Robert Jan Stips - ''U.P.'' *1981 The Nits - ''New Flat'' *1982 Golden Earring - ''Cut'' *1983 The Nits - ''Omsk'' *1983 The Nits - ''Kilo'' *1984 The Nits - ''Adieu, Sweet Bahnhof'' *1986 The Nits - ''Henk'' *1986 Golden Earring - ''The Hole'' *1987 The Nits - ''In The Dutch Mountains'' *1988 The Nits - ''Hat'' *1989 Nits - ''Urk'' *1990 Nits - ''Giant Normal Dwarf'' *1992 Nits - ''Ting'' *1992 Nits - ''Hjuvi: A Rhapsody In Time'' *1995 Nits - ''dA dA dA'' *1996 Nits - ''In Concert'' *1996 S.T.I.P.S. - ''Egotrip'' *1997 Freek de Jonge & STIPS - ''Gemeen Goed'' *1998 Freek de Jonge & STIPS - ''Rapsodia'' *1998 Robert Jan Stips - ''Greyhound'' *1999 Robert Jan Stips - ''Rembrandt 2000'' *2000 Supersister - ''Memories Are New - M.A.N.'' *2001 Supersister - ''Supersisterious'' *2005 Nits - ''Les Nuits'' *2008 Nits - ''Doing The Dishes'' *2008 Nits - ''Truce Diaries'' *2009 Nits - ''Strawberry Wood'' *2009 Robert Jan Stips - ''Rond: Piano & Songs'' *2012 Nits - ''Malpensa'' *2012 Robert Jan Stips - ''12 Steden, 13 Ongelukken'' *2014 RJ Stips / W Stips - ''KIND van 70'' *2015 Nits - ''Hotel Europa'' *2015 Robert Jan Stips - ''RJ's Tribute To 55 Years Golden Earring'' *2015 Robert Jan Stips - ''Don't Lose Heart / Verlies Niet de Moed'' *2016 Robert Jan Stips - ''Present To The Highest Pudding: Three Supersister albums played on three grand pianos simultaneously'' *2017 Nits - ''angst'' *2017 Fabelhaft - ''O Die Zee - 11 Songs'' *2019 Supersister Projekt 2019 - ''Retsis Repus'' *2019 Nits - ''Knot'' *2022 Nits - ''Neon'' *2024 Nits - ''Tree House Fire''

Filmography

* 2015: '' Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales'' (DVD)

References

External links

* http://www.stips.net/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Stips, Richard Jan 1950 births Living people Dutch musicians Musicians from The Hague Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau Golden Earring members